There has been quite a bit of loss with COVID – jobs, security, the ability to hug our friends, and the list goes on. Some of us have lost loved ones. In addition, there is a growing awareness that our country is experiencing a massive reset. There is an awareness of our mortality. If we are infected, we may die. Someone we love may die.… Read More »Thoughts About Dealing With COVID
Has your anxiety taken over your life? Do you feel like you have tried everything – yoga, mindfulness, meditation, medication, trips to the counselor, Xanax — but nothing has really worked? Try this: Imagine your anxiety as a Rottweiler puppy. Your new friend is so intent on protecting you, he has become “overenthusiastic”. So you’ve got an overactive working dog. He starts out protecting your… Read More »How to Make Friends With Your Anxiety
We all want peace, especially when we are plagued by anxiety. When that happens, it is tempting to think peace is the absence of anxiety. That peace would be how we felt if we weren’t afraid to leave our house, or pay our bills, or get on the airplane, etc. (By the way, I’m just randomly picking examples of what could cause anxiety. If this… Read More »Make Peace with Anxiety
Without knowing your particular situation, I think I can help you put a cap on your anxiety, and then make it go down. Most of us without realizing it chase a particular outcome. This causes anxiety because an outcome is a moving target. For example, are you trying to “meet the needs of your child, spouse, parent, etc.”? Instead, decide what you will do to… Read More »Is Your Anxiety Spiraling Out of Control?
“Simple” and “perfect” are sometimes used interchangeably. But they are two totally different things. “Perfect” refers to something that must not be messed up. It is static. “Simple” is more user friendly, and dynamic. It encourages people to join in. It’s simple, you can do it. “Perfect” tells people to back off, and stay away. “Simple” says come in and stay awhile. “Perfect” says look… Read More »The Difference Between Simplicity and Perfectionism
You may be really dreading the holidays this year—to the point of having an anxiety attack or at the very least an emotional meltdown. A lot of people do. Perhaps someone close to you has died, and you miss them terribly. Perhaps you are trying to have a baby, and have been unable to, and you are surrounded by friends and family who are awash… Read More »How to Get Through the Holidays without Having an Anxiety Attack
This post is for all you people who can’t get out of unpleasant obligations at Christmas (or whenever). I am not going to insist that you create boundaries or have a conversation with your extended family explaining that you have a visitation rotation because it is not possible for you to be in four places at once. No, I understand that sometimes you just have… Read More »One Method of Dialing Down Anxiety at Christmas
We all live in an age of stress and anxiety. There are many things that contribute to this problem, such as rampant perfectionism, how we use technology, and unrealistic expectations. The good news is there are also a number of things that can be used to turn down the volume of our stress and anxiety. Inner Critic Let’s start with our thoughts. Often, a harsh… Read More »How to Find Relief From Stress and Anxiety
Using my best Bob Dylan impersonation… Oh, I Would Not Be So All Alone…Everybody Must Get Stressed. We live in a stressful world. Think of the number of peaceful, calm people you know. We are lucky if we know one person like this. Stress and anxiety are catching. So, what do we do? First, realize that stress and anxiety are real. Think of them as a microorganism… Read More »How to Deal with Stress and Anxiety
Most of us just aren’t having enough fun. Having fun is a basic human need and when we don’t have enough, we can experience higher levels of stress and anxiety. Sometimes when I ask my clients what they do for fun, there are blank looks, followed by silence, followed by a mini-lecture on the importance of dealing with the problems that brought them there in… Read More »Try This to Lower Stress and Anxiety